Ancient Old and Dragons New
by Thependacticcircle
Summary: Ancient Old and Dragons New


**Merna is the most ancient of the dragon riders still alive from when they ruled and watched over .Brooding, brutal and extremely closed off. Guess you could say shes' a hard to please. but a good kind and compassionate half human , half elf, though that part isn't widely known. yes, there is a love story in here with one of the more minor characters of this series, Vanir. I've decided that that was forbidden by the elves at the time of her birth and she was therefore hidden , so as to avoid the sentence of death. She is the adopted daughter or apprentice of Oromis, who has been nothing short of the only parent or loved one besides the riders and her own dragon that she has ever known. And one more thing, Usually those with wyrda can heal someone , but it drains their energy, but for some reason with Merna, she takes whatever hurts the one she heals has taken on herself in order to heal them completely. No one knows why this if places or character names are misspelled, i haven't read or written about this in a while,kind of been away and not active. Blessed Be Thependacticcircle.**

_ Hold on Merna!_ Cadamir urged. She could feel the steady thrum of his wings beneath her as she gripped his neck spines tightly with both hands. She could feel his consciousness, reaching out and touching her own, offering his strength and hopefulness. On the bare edge of his thought, she could just feel the panic bleeding through. He quickly closed his mind, blocking her from seeing it or sensing it at all. She reached out and rested her head on his scaly neck, trying to reassure him through the haze of her muddled thoughts. The result was a barely audible

"Cadamir..."

_I'm landing, Merna! _He snapped, smoke and fire curling from his nostrils as he she felt him position himself.

_No!_ She ordered sharply with her mind, wincing at the physical pain it caused. _Neither Queen Islanzadi nor Araya know of Eragons' safety. They don't know he's alive, or that he's conquered Galbatorix.I promised to return to them within three days. If they see him without me, they could shoot him from the skies. They won't be aware that he isn't under the kings' control! Please Cadamir, you have to do this for me. I'm too weak to do this on my own._She felt his consciousness reach out to her own and allowed it to touch her own as she slumped against his neck. He was sending her pictures of Elesmera, a gaggle of people on the outskirts of a cliff. No, not people, elves. They were calling in their strange, singsong voices. In his mind, and through his eyes, she could make out the upturned faces of Queen Islanzadi and Araya, Oromis, Glaedr, Lifinor, a healer elf in the city whom she had made an unlikely friendship with over the past few weeks in the city, and... Vanir. Her heart skipped a beat as Cadamir banked hard, his wings flapping to keep his heavy bulk from capsizing as he landed heavily on all a moment, she just lay against Cadamirs' neck, allowing the pain to subside. The elves surrounded her, several voices clamoring at once. Cadamir reared back and let out a roar that shook the cliffs, flame shooting from his open maw. Everyone drew back as he landed heavily on all fours. smoke emanating from his nostrils and growling angrily. Merna grimaced as she was jolted horribly.

_Sorry, it was necessary to make them back off_ .

_No, don't be sorry,_ Merna responded, slipping off Caadamirs' back and coming to stand in front of him, facing those who waited for her. _ I am grateful for your intervention._ He nudged her from behind with his nose and grunted. " Eragon," She began, leaning against Cadamirs' side , her breath coming on short and shaky. " Eragon is coming. He.. has conquered... Galbatorix. He is victorious."

_With much help from Merna._ Cadamir inserted.

" Yes, Cadamir, with a little... help. He is ... unharmed. Saphira carries him...also... also." She closed her eyes. She could fight the darkness no longer, and she let the pain engulf her, washing away whatever consciousness she had left. She was vaguely aware of Cadamir, calling her to rise as she rushed towards the ground and knew no more.

"Merna!" Vanir cried, jumping forward. Oromis' eyes widened slightly and Glaedr rustled his wings, stamping his good foot in protest.

" Oromis!" Islanzadi cried " can you make contact with Cadamir?"

" His mind is closed, he will allow no one to enter." Cadamir let forth a growl and placed his forelegs in front of Mernas' body as Vanir approached. Glaedr raised his head then stumped forward, lowering his head as Cadamir snorted. Glaedr let out a grunt, digging his claws into the dirt impatiently. Cadamir let down his shield for one instant and spoke,

_The Rider and Saphira approach, Merna has been poisoned. She took the hurts from the Rider when he fought Galbatorix. He approaches._ Glaedr wheeled with alarm as he relayed the message to Oromis who spoke to the others in a low , quickened voice. The air was rent with wing beats above them and Cadamir let out a cry that was answered by Saphira as she landed by his side.

_Cadamir!_ Eragon wasted no time in sliding off Saphiras' back.

" Greetings Rider, well met and well praised." Greeted Linolin, the only one who did not seem concerned by the goings on. Eragon bowed briefly and put his fingers over his lips.

"Eragon!" Came Arayas' cry. Racing to him, she flung her arms around his neck unrestrainedly. Surprised, he embraced her quickly in return.

" Wheres'm Merna?" He prodded.

" Underneath the dragon. We can not get him to relinquish her for healing." She responded gravely.

_Saphira, see if you can get Cadamir to release her, please!_ He pleaded. But it was unnecessary as she was already busy berating the dragon in question.

_Cadamir, you must let her go! Now!_ Eragon flinched as a howl of sorrow , the only response from Cadamir, echoed inside his head , so full of mournful sadness, it brought tears to his eyes and made his knees go weak. _Let her go. For her own sake. They can heal her 's the only way._ Cadamir seemed to heave a heavy sigh as they watched, than he withdrew his claws, and turning fled into the distance./ Saphira turned her head to Eragon pleadingly.

_Go._ He told her. She dipped her head and licked him gently on the cheek, then spread her wings and clipped after him at as fast a pace as she could go. He whipped around as soon as she dissapeared , frantically telling Islanzadi,

" Merna, she is poisened-"

" I know," She returned solemnly, " We have been informed of the matter-"

" She took the hit from Galbatorix' dragon. Before I killed it, it bit down on my arm and poisoned found me and healed my injuries. Her magic backfired, it transferred my injuries to her-"

" Her magic did not backfire," Oromis responded, " Mernas' magic is flawed. She can't use it without damaging herself.-"

" Please, we've got to- we've got to do something."

" We already are." Oromis told him gently." In the mean time, Rider, i think you ought to rest."

" We need a place for her. " Vanir replied as he bent down by her still prone figure.

" She can have my room. " Eragon returned immediately.

" You'll be needing it yourself."

" We can share." Vanir reached down and cradled her to his chest, leaning down and kissing her brow, and lifting her into his arms. A long time ago, he had caught Merna on a quiet night and she had told him she had had some one waiting for her in Elesmera. With a shock, Eragon realized just what she had meant by that statement. She and Vanir were mates.

" Fly and i shall follow, " he told hikm, his eyes flashing with an unnatural sense of purpose. Eragon nodded and dashed, whispering a spell in the ancient tongue to speed his way.


End file.
